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Thursday, May 18, 2017

Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors at Irving Plaza

Singer/songwriter Drew
Holcomb began his musical career as a solo artist in his native Memphis,
Tennessee. He met guitarist/keyboardist Nathan
Dugger while in high school, and once Holcomb and his wife, Ellie Holcomb, relocated across the
state to East Nashville, the trio recruited bassist Rich Brinsfield and later drummer Jonathan Womble. Since they all lived in the same zip code, they
called the band Drew Holcomb and the
Neighbors. Ellie Holcomb no longer tours with the band. The band's seventh
studio album, Souvenir, was released on
March 24, 2017.

At Irving Plaza
tonight, Drew Holcomb led the Neighbors in folk-pop songs with a bit of Americana
twang. Most of the set was soft and sparse, with Holcomb's thick, emotive vocals
backed by simple arrangements. Holcomb finger picked an acoustic guitar for
much of the set, and the band punctuated the melodies with subtle flourishes. The
beauty of the set was how it was so clearly focused on the songs. The lyrics
were easily heard and digested, and Holcomb's hearty vocals made them
engagingly vivid. An honest wholesomeness permeated the fabric of the set with
almost child-like innocence. Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors' front-porch-styled
concert was pleasingly refreshing.